38 Studios assets sold off for $180K

Assets belonging to defunct Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer 38 Studios have brought in around US$180,000 in the first of three auctions held near Baltimore. The sale, held on October 16th, auctioned off around 950 items, including office furniture, computers, gaming consoles, TVs and other bits and pieces that formerly belonged to 38 subsidiary Big Huge Games.

The item with the highest price tag? A "video animation suit" that went for US$9,500.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

More than 300 people attended the auction in person, with a further 200 watching the bidding online. Richard Land, receiver for 38 Studios explains he's a bit pleased with the outcome:

In my experience, Monday's auction can be considered robust. Having this many bidders helps to extract greater value for the property.

Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee is said not to be "overly optimistic" that the state will make much back on its investment, but acknowledges that every penny helps.

A second auction is promising even bigger things: Set for Tuesday October 23 at the former 38 Studios office in Rhode Island, you can expect to see "sophisticated animation equipment" up for grabs, plus a massage table, a ping pong table, and art prints from Kingdoms of Amalur, signed by Curt Schilling.

The third and final auction will take place in around three months, and will sell off 38 Studios' intellectual property, including - presumably - rights to the unfinished MMO, Copernicus.